App Store needs updating

[milkshake]

BS.


The reason of the fragmentation is : it's a pain to get upload right on the appstore, then the upload process is freaking pain too.


The Box poped after you launched the appstore. dflemstr tried to show that there are many greater way to upload a pnd the a file-archive.

well to let you know my site will take all the info from the pxml file that is needed so it should be a doddle to add an app just upload it and your done, what ever description u used in the PXML will be the description on my site etc, but the PXML file must be writted to standard otherwise it will tell you so and give you a link to the standard to re write your pxml.


what I also plan on doing is creating an online PXML generator for devs so its one less thing for you to worry about (even though writing the PXML corretly in the first place isnt hard lol).


graig, some apps in the appstore dont use PXML correctly to the standard and some files dont even have the PXML appended to the archive so that the pandora can read it quickly.

 

[craigix]

I didn't start any split on file archives, the OP team agreed we needed a more modern user friendly archive which allowed purchased apps.


That's exactly what we have built. How you can think the old file archive has better pnd/upload/resolution/feature support is beyond me.

 

[craigix]

graig, some apps in the appstore dont use PXML correctly to the standard and some files dont even have the PXML appended to the archive so that the pandora can read it quickly.

I'd not force people to use PXML if they don't want to, they might want to put different things in the app description on your site for example.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

I don't mind multiple appstores/archives at all, I just don't like being told what to do, that was the issue back then.


I like coding, it keeps me sane and I wanted to code an appstore just to see how it could be done. I enjoy it. It was a shame certain people thought


I should have to use someone elses code, I'm never comfortable with other peoples code.

Did you though about a *BSD port-like system ?


Or Slackware's slackbuilds ? :


http://slackbuilds.org/


In conjunction with http://sbopkg.org/index.php


This is clean, robust and powerful. Plus pretty easy to maintain, as you don't have to repackage all the time. Only little shell scripts modifications.

 

[sebt3]

How you can think the old file archive has better pnd/upload/resolution/feature support is beyond me.

The filearchive dont requiere me to upload the file again and again until I have filled all the field right.


For the only thing I uploaded on the appstore, I needed to upload it about 9 times. For a 24M PND, it's a pain. Remember that upload in canada is very limited. I've busted my upload limit more than once since I started building pnds. I dont need a central archive that cost me even more money.


BTW, browsing the FA on pandora isn't that bad, but granted, yours does a better job there.

 

[WizardStan]

Craig, you can go a long way to making your app store a lot more user friendly by making it Midori friendly, and creating a unique profile/launcher that has the appstore as home, and the default save directory is the pandora/desktop directory of the first SD card. Alternatively (or as well would be better), a small application which handles a custom mime type "application/PND" which helps "install" a PND into the appropriate directory.

 

[foxblock]

well to let you know my site will take all the info from the pxml file that is needed so it should be a doddle to add an app just upload it and your done, what ever description u used in the PXML will be the description on my site etc, but the PXML file must be writted to standard otherwise it will tell you so and give you a link to the standard to re write your pxml.

Cool, that is one feature I really liked about The Box.


Maybe you can pull some ideas or code from it (though it is written in Scala): https://github.com/dflemstr/box

 

[milkshake]

I'd not force people to use PXML if they don't want to, they might want to put different things in the app description on your site for example.

Don't worry I have thought about that people will have the option to edit or add additional details or languages etc after the upload but taking the pxml info will make it quicker in most cases.


I wouldt want to accept a file that doesn't stick to Standard after all the the Pandora relys on the pxml data to add pnds to the correct categories etc so where ever possible I'll to nudge uploader to use correctly created pnd files with correct pxml specs etc.

 

[Dead1nside]

I think there certainly should be the opportunity for paid apps on the archive, and also donation links and suggested amounts in their place as well. However, there's something aesthetically about the App Store which I don't like. Perhaps it's because I'll probably always be using a desktop browser to download PNDs, and that I like lots of information available to me (often sorting things by most popular or most recent, which is why the File Archive is still quite ideal for me.)


I do understand Craig's decision to want to be in control of the App Store, in case of this disappearing issue, however given dflemstr's interest, and others, it might have been an idea to take a more communal approach (I know Craig's taken suggestions from people). However, again, its a sort of inverse situation to the one in which Craig feared, but Craig is the one in control of the App Store; so when Craig doesn't have time, or the motivation to update the App Store, it doesn't happen. Perhaps his suggestion of a maintainer, or co-maintainers is a good idea to combat this.


We're all, I'm sure, very grateful that Craig's hands are kept busy building Pandoras, which is the real job.

 

[richiz]

oh dear what have I started. I'm not a fan of unofficial app stores. What happens when youre bored and cant be bothered to support it anymore.


Or someone uploads a million apps with malware?

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Im looking forward to the appstore update.It would be great if someone helped out craig to maintain the appstore.If we ever want to see some cheaply priced commercial software eg games etc then the appstore is the way to go.We need to support the appstore.While im not critcising anyones work.more than one appstore would be very messy.We have to think long term here.

 

[j6cubic]

Craig, you can go a long way to making your app store a lot more user friendly by making it Midori friendly, and creating a unique profile/launcher that has the appstore as home, and the default save directory is the pandora/desktop directory of the first SD card. Alternatively (or as well would be better), a small application which handles a custom mime type "application/PND" which helps "install" a PND into the appropriate directory.

Just a minor nitpick: Non-standard MIME types should always use the x- prefix, so what you want is application/x-pnd.

 

[skeezix]

The repository is also essential; currently at least, the 'app store' only does Apps; what about reference materials (documentation) or assets (audio, themes for minimenu or whatever, random stuff.) Theres nothing wrong with multiple sources .. I'd say its even healthy. We call it 'back up' in the real world


It's best if both are fully populated, which of course is a sync problem, but such is life..


jeff

 

[richiz]

no I disagree. A centralized app store could have 'most downloaded' 'top rated' etc. With a true reflection of the best and favourite homebrew games.


To top it off it means checking multiple sites to get latest games. Maybe there should be multiple sites so people have choice. But an effort should be made to centralize one. That is the ultimate Pandora resource were after. For less savvy Linux users let's not complicate things further.

 

[WizardStan]

Just a minor nitpick: Non-standard MIME types should always use the x- prefix, so what you want is application/x-pnd.

Ah, too right. Thank you.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

no I disagree. A centralized app store could have 'most downloaded' 'top rated' etc. With a true reflection of the best and favourite homebrew games.


To top it off it means checking multiple sites to get latest games. Maybe there should be multiple sites so people have choice. But an effort should be made to centralize one. That is the ultimate Pandora resource were after. For less savvy Linux users let's not complicate things further.

yup i agree.Things have to be centralized.Too many places to download stuff is messy.as you say a true reflection of whats popular and whats not can be ascertained.

 

[milkshake]

@wrath of khan


@richiz


a centralised app-store would be good if it were better than it is now.


Craig has said there have been lots of changes and I cant wait to see this I love that Craig scripted the app-store (I don't agree with using python to code it but...anyway).


I don't think that having more than one place to go for your apps is ever a bad thing, and anyway every app on the app store will be on my site anyway, unless it doesn't conform to standard.


I don't know if you have ever had that feeling when u see something "i could do that better" that's all am trying to do and if Craig's updates are fantastic then excellent, having multiple amazing places to get cool apps from only the community benefits right?


I mean I got fed up of waiting for improvements to the app-store, can you blame me? I wanted to create a place that is not only accessible via a website but that will also enable a native client to pool data from and download directly to the pandora without the need for a browser (an app manager?). You cant just sit tight and wait for things to happen all the time you know.


If you think you can create something that will benefit the community then I say do it! only good things can happen!


Its not competition!! its what should naturally happen with an open source community.

 

[Esn]

yup i agree.Things have to be centralized.Too many places to download stuff is messy.as you say a true reflection of whats popular and whats not can be ascertained.

I'll just point out again that you CAN check one central place to see everything: the 3 constantly-updated software lists on the PandoraWiki (which should hopefully also have mouse-over screenshot previews soon, if things go according to plan):


http://pandorawiki.org/Software_projects


http://pandorawiki.org/Games


http://pandorawiki.org/Emulator_list


Those three lists are also the only ones to list all the games, programs and emulators that aren't uploaded either to the File Archive or to the Appstore, of which there are quite a few.

I don't mind multiple appstores/archives at all, I just don't like being told what to do, that was the issue back then.

/kidding, kidding... :unsure:


But to be more serious for a second, fragmentation means that the end user is not able to find everything that's available... good thing that a few of us decided to take things into our own hands and created at least one truly central place where all Pandora programs are listed...

 

[Tom`]

Bottom line: You can't really tell anyone where to upload their stuff and you would infringe people's copyright by just uploading it to some place without their permission.

This is only true of proprietary software - for the vast majority of Pandora software, there's nothing stopping you from uploading binaries to Craig's site, as long as you follow the license (add a copy of the GPL and the source code, generally).


For the software that can't be redistributed, perhaps Craig could add a way to create an appstore entry to point to a different download site?

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

@wrath of khan


@richiz


a centralised app-store would be good if it were better than it is now.


Craig has said there have been lots of changes and I cant wait to see this I love that Craig scripted the app-store (I don't agree with using python to code it but...anyway).


I don't think that having more than one place to go for your apps is ever a bad thing, and anyway every app on the app store will be on my site anyway, unless it doesn't conform to standard.


I don't know if you have ever had that feeling when u see something "i could do that better" that's all am trying to do and if Craig's updates are fantastic then excellent, having multiple amazing places to get cool apps from only the community benefits right?


I mean I got fed up of waiting for improvements to the app-store, can you blame me? I wanted to create a place that is not only accessible via a website but that will also enable a native client to pool data from and download directly to the pandora without the need for a browser (an app manager?). You cant just sit tight and wait for things to happen all the time you know.


If you think you can create something that will benefit the community then I say do it! only good things can happen!


Its not competition!! its what should naturally happen with an open source community.

Fair enough.Im sure your doing good work.if you will have all the apps from the appstore that sounds cool.